Instant mixes, containing fully pregelatinised starch, are increasingly popular due to their convenience. These instant mixes are dispersed in an aqueous fluid, such as cold water and milk, are agitated and are allowed to set for a certain time. Up to now emphasis has been put mainly on the improvement of the dispersibility of the instant mixes.
EP 0 517 423 relates to a dry hydrocolloid-containing composition that when hydrated readily disperses in cold aqueous fluids. The readily-dispersible hydrocolloid-containing food material is produced by spray-drying particles of the hydrocolloid with an aqueous solution of a wetting agent to agglomerate and spray-coat the particles. The wetting agent must be a water-soluble food-acceptable ingredient with little or no emulsifying capability and typical examples of such wetting agent are triacetin, glycerol, and tributyrin. The level of wetting agent which is applied to the surface of the materials being agglomerated is about 0.1% to 3% of the wetting agent by weight of the hydrocolloid material.
U.S. Pat. No. 4,871,398 is directed to a continuous process for producing gelatinised, spray-dried and agglomerated starch which has a relatively narrow particle size distribution and a relatively low level of fine particles. The invention relates to a specially designed spray nozzle system which produces agglomerated pregelatinised, spray-dried starch without the need for separate agglomeration equipment. The thus produced starch material will typically contain agglomerates sized up to about 200 microns.
U.S. Pat. No. 5,597,603 relates to a dry sugar-free instant pudding mix which is adapted for rehydration with skim milk or low-fat milk to produce sugar-free, no/low-fat puddings. The dry mix of this invention comprises agglomerated pregelatinised starch, maltodextrin, non-sugar sweetener, phosphate gelling agents, xanthan gum and slow-reacting calcium salts. The aim of the invention is to provide sugar-free, fat-free instant pudding mix which upon hydration with skim milk produces puddings which exhibits setting and textural parameters comparable to those exhibited by instant puddings made with whole (fat-containing) milk.
U.S. Pat. No. 3,464,857 relates to a method for the preparation of a water dispersible dry starch composition. In said method a starch base is blended with a sugar component such as monosaccharides and disaccharides, followed by mixing with water and simultaneously drying said blend and gelatinising the starch base, and grinding the dried mixture. It becomes possible to readily disperse the resulting instant starch product without the formation of lumps.
U.S. Pat. No. 4,704,294 relates to an agglomerated dry mix composition suitable for addition to a boiling or hot mixture of water and meat or poultry fat drippings to make a lump-free gravy. Said agglomerated dry mix composition comprises a retarded potato starch thickening agent, a binding amount of maltodextrin, flavors, colors, and an emulsifying agent.
EP 0 490 557 relates to a composition suitable for use as gum arabic replacement and characterised in that said composition comprises a mixture of an extruded waxy starch, a low DE maltodextrin and enzymatically hydrolysed collagen.
U.S. Pat. No. 4,156,020 relates to a process for producing a dry product for food preparations which readily and easily swell and dissolve in water or aqueous liquids without forming lumps. The product is present in the form of agglomerates in which the starch particles are the nuclei and are surrounded by or embedded in a protective layer of hydrophilic substance. The hydrophilic substances are sugars such as lactose, sucrose, dextrose glucose syrup and maltodextrin; sugar alcohols such a sorbitol and mannitol; organic acids; inorganic salts such as sodium chloride, sodium glutamate or mixtures thereof.
There exists a need for a thickening agent based on starch, which is incorporated in dry mixes for instant food preparations wherein the starch-based product is readily dispersible in water and the full viscosity of the thickener is developed instantaneously.
The current invention provides such a product.